“Everything happens for a reason,” Waddell said in an interview with PEOPLE. “It’s been a long journey for me in Bachelor Nation, but I would do it a thousand times again. Because the next part is going to be bliss.”

But true love didn't come easy for Waddell at first— in the Season 2 of Bachelor in Paradise, she fell in love with (and was later dumped by) contestant Kirk DeWindt. Shortly after, she briefly dated a man from Nashville before returning to Season 3 of BiP in 2016 where she met erectile dysfunction specialist Evan Bass.

Waddell also revealed the news in a recent Instagram post captioned, "SECRET IS OUT GUYS!!!! Evan and I are SO EXCITED to announce we are HAVING A BABY!!! What a beautiful, wonderful, wild year it has been and the adventure continues Feb 2018! 👶🏽❤️ (also Evans face here is hilarious and wonderful)"